Blocks provide endless opportunities for children to explore, imagine and create with. We have a wealth of wooden blocks at our settings however the blocks do not have to be wooden they could be bricks, planks of wood, mega blocks and so on. Our blocks of wood came free from a friend, I am finding Facebook local selling/free sites an amazing resource for making a plea for items people may getting rid of either for free or willing to sell for a small price.
Community Play Things is a great resource for articles explaining the benefits of open ended and block play as well as having blocks available for purchase. This video discusses how amazing block play is in preparing children for the 21st Centenary.
This week a chap in our setting wanted to build a den with the wooden blocks for himself and his friends. He spent such a long time on this project working hard, making sure the sides reached, that it was the same height, that he had assessed the risks with the adult supporting him before entering the den. The planing, adjusting, concentration and discussions which took place were wonderful to observe.
Block play is not just for older children though, toddlers and babies love to explore blocks too. Items can be added to combine with blocks such as the blanket in the video, material, tubes, small word animals. The possibilities are endless.